Fantastico Disasterpiece Theater: The Luchador Returns!
Gringo Fantastico is a tormented luchador presenting Troma films from the safety of an abandoned recreation center in Tromaville. He is plagued by the French-Canadian Demon Piñata Francois who hurls insults and snide remarks throughout the episodes. The eight-episode season two premiered August 1st on Troma NOW and new episodes will be released on the first of each month.
CW // Troma aka every warning under the sun and some that don’t even exist yet
Gringo Fantastico (Nate Turnpaugh) returns to Tromaville in spectacular fashion with the season two premier of Fantastico Disasterpiece Theater on Troma NOW. He continues from the season one finale where he presents Lloyd Kaufman’s Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1 (2013). This episode he hosts Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High aka Volume 2 for the premier.
Turnpaugh has the entirety of the Tromaverse at his disposal when deciding what to show on Disasterpiece Theater. For those unfamiliar with Troma or Kaufman, these movies “typically contain overt sexuality, nudity, and intentionally sadistic, gory, and blatant graphic violence,” according to Wikipedia. These movies are not for everyone, and Kaufman likes it that way.
Trouble in Tromaville
In an interview with Turnpaugh, he reveals the episode had a minor production issue which led to the original guest not being available for filming. “This episode, this script… it was a whole different script.” Amazingly, the episode was recalibrated and rewritten in three days to meet the shooting schedule. Turnpaugh holds a masters degree in screenwriting and his skill is on display despite the hasty rework.
The episode opens with a VHS recording of an interview with Fantastico from 1995. The interview goes wrong and Fantastico ends up storming away angrily. This is part of an ongoing narrative Turnpaugh is building with Fantastico. I am excited to learn more about the luchador’s tortured past.
Your father underestimates you, I think.
Audiences are also treated to a Fantastico on Fantastico interview due to the aforementioned guest scheduling issue. He splits into two and much to his chagrin, Other Fantastico quickly teams up with Francios in bullying him.
He interviews himself about his past and makes reference to a highly censored film project he worked on. They also receive a call from the Guadalajarian government, but you need to tune in to see what that is all about.
Turnpaugh says this self-interview is his favorite part of the episode and attributes his love of body doubling in media surprisingly to The Parent Trap (1961). He is excited for audiences to see “the ridiculousness of the two Fantasticos.”
Dynamic Duo
Several pieces of media are treated to an homage throughout the episode. Despite thinking he eliminated Francois at the end of season one, the Demon Piñata pops up in the back seat of his ‘68 Firebird ala Psycho III (1986). When Projector Guy is pulled back into the recreation center, it is done with a brilliant classic Doctor Who reference. And how else would the Fantisticos reunite but a Dragon Ball fusion dance?
At the end of the episode, Fantastico quotes Teen Wolf (1985) and Francois angrily responds “You ruined something cool again with your movie quoting.” The dynamic between Fantastico and Francois sets Disasterpiece Theater apart. I have never seen such entertaining and vitriolic interactions between “co-hosts.” Francois rarely, if ever, has a nice thing to say about Fantastico.
Fantastico only sometimes has the energy to properly fight back against the demon. He frequently threatens the demon with a giant squirrel instead of attacking him directly. This is partly because, as Francois puts it, Fantastico is a “concussed asshole.”
That’s not candy!
It is becoming more and more evident there is much more to the Demon Piñata than audiences currently know. I am very much looking forward to watching the backstory for Francois Turnpaugh teased during our interview unfold throughout the season.
When I ask, “Is Francois tormenting Fantastico or is Fantastico tormenting himself?” Turnpaugh laughs and responds “That’s actually the whole narrative of this season. Because it is all based around all Fantastico’s concussions and all of the PTSD and all of this weird stuff from all these crazy things that are happening.”
Turnpaugh doesn’t shy away from his own history with PTSD and its influence on the show. He says he has had PTSD for 20 years and “I try to make light of it so it doesn’t have so much of a stigma.” He hopes someone else out there who is struggling can see him and go “Maybe I can do that too.”
I agree with him and liken him to other horror hosts who serve as a beacon of hope to their audiences. He seems a little uncomfortable with being placed alongside them, but watching the show proves he has earned his praise.
My rating for the episode:
(4.2 / 5)
Future Trips to Tromaville
There are a lot of super cool guest interviews to look forward to this season including but not limited to Lloyd Kaufman himself, C. Robert Cargill, and Jonah Ray Rodrigues. Turnpaugh was also able to snag Toby Poser, John Adams and Lulu Adams of Adams Family Films. For those who watch The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, they were featured in season four with their film Hellbender (2021).
Follow @realfantastico on the platform formerly known as Twitter to join in with the rest of the Fantasticats as they live-tweet each episode the Friday after release.
After taking a week off, Dexter Original Sin is back. And while no piece of art can ever be entirely perfect, this was as close to perfect as I think we can expect.
The story
We start this episode right where the last one left off. Dexter, with a body in his trunk, finds his dumping grounds swarming with cops. So, keeping his head as cool as ever, he pulls out his forensic badge and pretends he’s supposed to be there. Then, he feeds the remaining arm from his second kill to the alligators before anyone can print it. But, not before Angel recognizes a distinct ring on the hand’s finger.
Jewelry really will be the death of Dexter.
While he might have gotten himself out of that mess, he still has a body to deal with. He decides to take it to a dump in broad daylight. Sometimes he acts like he wants to get caught. But then, maybe he does.
Meanwhile, the police are still looking for whoever kidnapped Nicky. There’s a horrific scene in this episode in which the poor kid has his finger chopped off. But this finger might well be the evidence that Miami Metro needs to catch the kidnapper because Dexter notices a sense of hesitation before the cut on Nicky that wasn’t present on the first little boy.
He also finds a drop of blood that doesn’t belong to Nicky.
Once again, it all comes back to blood.
What worked
As I’ve watched this series, and after consuming all of the rest of the work this franchise has offered us, one thing has become more and more clear.
Harry Morgan is a terrible human being.
Let’s just take this episode as an example. We see him strongarming a CI that he had an affair with, threatening to stick her in jail and drop her kids into foster care if she doesn’t keep risking her life for him. We then see him go home and lecture his wife, who he cheated on, for not forgiving him fast enough. And we know how this all ends for the Mosers. We know that Laura ends up dead and Harry takes the baby he liked, leaving Brian to the horrors of the foster care system.
- Michael C. Hall (Actor)
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The thing is, we were never supposed to like Harry. More and more I realize that Harry is the bad guy. He’s the antagonist of Dexter. And as I’m rewatching the original series, I see clearly that he’s been the bad guy from the start. And I think that’s such a brilliant idea.
Not quite as cool, but still impressive was the serial killer advice scene in this episode. Dexter, struggling with where to hide his dead bodies, researches how other serial killers have done so. We see him talk to Ed Gein, David Berkowitz and John Wayne Gacy. This scene brought the absurdity of the series to the forefront. Our main character admires these men. These monsters did horrific things. And we still, somehow, against all decency, like him.
Let me also just say that Scott Reynolds who played Gacy did a fantastic job. The body language and line delivery were just so creepy. For someone who wasn’t on screen for more than a few minutes, he knew how to make a killer impression.
Finally, I want to applaud the twist in this episode. But, as always, I want to do so without giving it away! I will only say that there is a large reveal regarding the person who killed the judge’s son and abducted Nicky. And, I have to say, I didn’t see it coming. It was amazing and raised so many questions. Questions I cannot wait to have answers for.
Honestly, everything in this episode worked. It was well-written, well-acted, and well worth my time. My only complaint right now is that there are only three episodes left.
Of course, it’s usually the last episode of a Dexter show that ruins the whole thing. Let’s see if they can avoid that this time.
(4 / 5)
After the last episode of Goosebumps, I was concerned. I wasn’t sure where the season was going, and I worried I wouldn’t like it.
Thankfully, this episode got the story and my interest back on track.
For the most part.
The story
We begin our story with a flashback from Alex, finally finding out why she was sent to Juvie. She was at a party that resulted in a house fire, through no fault of her own. Rather than helping her, Alex’s mom Jen simply assumes she set the fire and refuses to help her. So, you know, ACAB.
When Alex gets back, she wants to clear her name. So she decides to find Murph, the person who actually set the fire. To do this, she needs a car. So she decides to borrow Trey’s car.
You know, the car that is currently infected by the homicidal sewer spores.
What worked
One thing I’ve enjoyed about this season so far is that no one’s really at fault here. Yes, some of them are doing dumb things. I wouldn’t consider Trey breaking into Anthony’s basement and wrecking stuff to be a great decision. But I can also see how he got there, and why he was pushed to that. I love how we have the opportunity to see the motivations of almost every character.
I also enjoyed how Alex’s character is being filled out. She is compassionate, funny and brave. I think she’s going to end up being my favorite character this season.
On that note, a lot of this episode revolved around Alex and her mother. This was important, as we needed to round out the cast. However, I appreciated that we got that focus while still moving the storyline along for the characters we already have established. It’s sometimes hard to strike that balance when we’re not telling a story in a linear fashion. But I think they pulled it off.
What didn’t work
As much as I love the Alex/Cece relationship, I don’t love how Cece is being portrayed.
Maybe I just don’t like Cece.
She is too perfect. She is too charming. Everyone likes her. And several times in this episode she batted her pretty eyes, tossed her blond hair, and got people to do things for her. While I am amused that Alex weaponized this, it’s also irritating. I’d like to see less pretty privilege.
Finally, in this episode, we saw this demonic or haunted spore (or whatever it is) transition from a car to, of all things, a cup of coffee.
What even is this thing? What are the dimensions? What are the rules? What the hell is it doing?
Suspension of disbelief can only take us so far. We have to have a set of rules for the world for us to buy into it. I can buy a sentient spore. I cannot buy it jumping from living creature to car to coffee cup.
Do better.
Even so, this was a really fun episode. I’m enjoying the story so far, and I’m interested to see how long it takes everyone to get the parts of their story together so they can see the whole picture.
(3.5 / 5)
Smile 2, a psychological supernatural horror, released in October 2024 just in time for Halloween, sees director Parker Finn (Smile, Laura Hasn’t Slept) return with a sequel starring Naomi Scott (Aladdin) as pop star and recovering addict Skye Riley. While Smile 2 boasts a talented cast, it ultimately falls short of its predecessor, offering a familiar storyline with minor variations and a predictable finale. The film attempts to introduce a new method to combat the parasitic ‘Smile Entity’, but this addition fails to elevate the sequel beyond a pale imitation of its chilling predecessor.
The Plot.
Smile 2 begins shortly after the end of the original; just six days after Rose Cotter’s death. During a short interlude scene, we watch as the now cursed Joel attempts to pass the Smile Entity on by killing one criminal in front of another. The plan backfires spectacularly, inadvertently passing the curse onto an innocent bystander named Lewis Fregoli.
The film then shifts gears, introducing Skye Riley, a singer and performer making a triumphant return to the spotlight with a comeback tour after a tumultuous past. During a candid interview on the Drew Barrymore Show, Skye opens up about her struggles with addiction and the devastating loss of her boyfriend in a car accident. Her sobriety journey, however, faces a severe setback when she seeks pain relief from her old high school friend, the unwitting Lewis Fregoli. In a chilling turn of events, Lewis takes his own life while Skye watches, passing the Smile Entity onto her.
Unaware of her new cursed existence Skye gets on with rehearsing for her tour, but she begins to notice that strange things are happening. People are smiling at her in an unnatural way and she becomes the target of anonymous attacks and aggressions. When text messages begin to arrive from an unknown number, Skye decides to get some answers.
Highlights.
Let’s not beat about the bush. I found Smile 2 difficult to finish and was struggling at about the hour-and-a-half mark to stay awake. That being said it’s worth watching because everyone needs to see the 3-minute scene of the ‘smilers’ chasing Skye through her apartment. This was possibly the creepiest thing I’ve seen on a screen. The buildup, the synchronicity of the movement of the actors and their positioning, the camera work, and the lighting. I have rewatched it several times and it doesn’t get old. If you are only interested in watching this, fast forward to the 123-minute mark and get ready to be impressed.
Drawbacks.
Where do I start?
My primary concern with Smile 2 is its striking resemblance to its predecessor. The narrative follows a familiar pattern: an attractive woman fleeing a supernatural force, grappling with hallucinations, experiencing a mental health decline, and culminating in the revelation someone close to Skye was the Smiling Entity after all. This repetitive structure diminishes the film’s impact.
- Sosie Bacon, Jason T. Usher, Kyle Gallner (Actors)
- Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
While the introduction of a new method for shedding the entity initially offered a glimmer of hope this concept wasn’t fully realized. It just served to add names to the line of people that the entity has infected in the past.
Furthermore, the film’s pacing suffers from excessive focus on Skye’s musical career. Scenes showcasing her stage rehearsals and music videos, while intended to establish her identity as a performer, feel unnecessary and detract from the narrative momentum. Yes, we understand she’s a performer, you told us, you don’t need to prove it. These scenes appear to artificially inflate the film’s runtime, suggesting a lack of confidence in the core story.
The Final Take.
Ultimately, Smile 2 fails to expand upon the established lore of the franchise. The film’s conclusion feels contrived, with a blatant setup for a third installment. Hopefully, if a ‘Smile 3’ is inevitable, the creative team will bring fresh ideas and avoid simply retreading familiar ground.
(2 / 5)
Both Cthulhu’s granted for that one scene.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Kyle Gallner, Naomi Scott (Actors)
- Parker Finn (Director) – Parker Finn (Writer) – Parker Finn (Producer)
Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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